MINISTRY OF JUSTICE
News Release (099/07) issued by The Government News Network on 18
July 2007
RELEASED BY THE
MINISTRY OF JUSTICE PRESS OFFICE ON BEHALF OF THE COUNCIL ON TRIBUNALS
The Council on Tribunals' 2006-07 Annual Report, published
today, provides an account of the Council's work in the
reporting year from April 2006 to March 2007.
In his preface the Chairman of the Council, Lord Newton of
Braintree, refers to the year's most welcome news - the
appearance of the Tribunal, Courts and Enforcement (TCE) Bill the
legislation needed to complete the tribunals reform programme,
which began with the Leggatt Report 2001, followed by the White
Paper 'Transforming Public Services' in 2004.
The Bill also provides for the Council to evolve into an
Administrative Justice and Tribunals Council, which Lord Newton
describes as "a role.......we greatly welcome and for which
we have continued with confidence to prepare during the year"
Highlights of the Council's work in the past year have included:
* A wide-ranging survey of tribunal user groups.
* A study of the use of video-linking in tribunal hearings as an
aid to access to justice.
* Building more direct contact with decision-makers, with a view
to securing improvements in the end-to end appeals process for users.
* Increasing the circulation and scope of the Council's
electronic magazine Adjust, which provides a medium for sharing
ideas and good practice across the administrative justice world.
* The Council's Annual Conference in November 2006, which
included a keynote speech by the former Secretary of State and
Lord Chancellor, Lord Falconer.
The report also records the Council's other work, including
Council members' visits to tribunals, attendance at
conferences and training seminars and its response to statutory consultation.
Notes to Editors
1. The Council's Annual Report for 2006-2007 is published by
The Stationery Office (HC733), priced £18-00. The report can also
be obtained from the Council's website http://www.council-on-tribunals.gov.uk.
2. The Council is an independent advisory body, established by
statute in 1958, whose functions include keeping under review the
constitution, working and procedures of the large number of
tribunals which have been placed under its supervision, as well as
the procedures of certain inquiries. The Council also advises the
Government on legislation creating new tribunals and inquiries.
The present Chairman is the Rt. Hon. Lord Newton of Braintree OBE, DL.
3. Current members of the Council are:
The Lord Newton of Braintree OBE, DL
Professor Alistair
MacLeary
Elizabeth Cameron
Sue Davis CBE
Judith
Edwards
Penny Letts
Steve D Mannion QPM
Bronwyn
McKenna
Bernard Quoroll
Professor Genevra Richardson
CBE
Dr Jonathan Spencer CB
Dr Adrian V Stokes OBE
Pat
Thomas CBE
Brian Thompson
Heather Wilcox
Ann Abraham
(ex officio, as Parliamentary Commissioner for
Administration)
Professor Alice Brown (ex officio, as Scottish
Public Services Ombudsman).
4. The Council's website at http://www.council-on-tribunals.gov.uk
provides on-line access to information about the Council and its
Reports and includes links to the websites of individual tribunal systems.
5. For further information about the Council's Annual Report
or the work of the Council please contact:
Jackie Cummins
Council on Tribunals,
81 Chancery
Lane
London WC2A 1BQ
Website: http://www.council-on-tribunals.gov.uk
ENDS